Birding Big Day is BirdLife South Africa’s flagship annual birding event, hosted by the Science and Innovation Programme. Every year on a single Saturday in late November or early December, hundreds of teams across the country head outdoors to record as many bird species as possible within 24 hours. Whether you are a seasoned atlasser chasing a provincial record or a family enjoying a morning walk in the local park, Birding Big Day is for you.
But it is far more than a competition. Every sighting logged during the event feeds directly into the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2), one of the continent’s most important long-term bird monitoring programmes. The data help scientists at BirdLife South Africa and partner institutions track where South Africa’s birds are, how their populations are changing over time, and which species and habitats need urgent conservation attention. That information underpins the national Red Data Book for birds, the National Biodiversity Assessment, species distribution models, and conservation planning decisions that shape how land and resources are managed across the country.
In short, a day of fun birding translates into real science and meaningful conservation outcomes.
The Science and Innovation Programme coordinates every aspect of the event, from registration and event logistics through to data collation, analysis, and post-event reporting. Teams register online and log their sightings throughout the day using the BirdLasser mobile app, which records species identifications together with precise GPS locations, time stamps, and observer information. A dedicated BirdLasser event page tracks team progress in real time, building excitement as the tallies climb across all nine provinces.
Two radius categories cater for different styles of birding. The 50 km radius challenge is aimed at competitive teams covering diverse habitats across a wide area, while the 6 km radius event is designed for birders who prefer a slower pace, a smaller footprint, and a focus on thorough coverage. Critically, the 6 km radius aligns almost perfectly with the SABAP2 pentad grid, meaning many participants can submit a full protocol atlas card on the same day, further enriching the national bird distribution dataset.
After the event, we collate the results, announce national and provincial winners, and publish an annual report summarising participation, species tallies, and the conservation value of the data generated. Donations received during BBD go directly towards supporting the Science and Innovation Programme’s ongoing work.
